The sun has been respected —and often revered— by every human culture. For most of history, people had to live within the energy provided by the sun. Buildings were designed for local climates, food was grown according to the seasons, and communities organised themselves around the rhythms and limits of nature.

Today, as we face climate disruption and resource constraints, many of these principles are becoming relevant again. We invite you to explore how ancient wisdom and contemporary knowledge can help us build lives and communities that are more resilient, grounded and future-proof.

We are deliberately hosting this course in inland Spain in August. The heat and water scarcity already experienced here offer a glimpse of conditions that many parts of Europe are likely to face more often in the coming decades. We will learn in a place where adapting to a hot, dry climate is part of local culture, and in an off-grid project designed around ecological and resilient principles. We want to learn how to live alongside the high temperatures and even enjoy them!

No previous experience in permaculture or any of the topics is required. The course is suitable for most reasonably fit people.

We recognise the importance of putting screens aside during a training course. There are sufficient good reasons:

In other words, we'd like to invite you to fully immerse yourself in the training course and harness the benefits that come with it. It will be easier than you think!

This is an immersive, intense, hands-on training experience.

We will explore the core principles and ethics of permaculture — how to read a landscape, design with nature rather than against it, and create systems that are productive, resilient and self-sustaining. Expect to get your hands dirty: working with soil, plants, natural building and insulation using local and natural materials.

We will explore how groups form, communicate and make decisions together, using tools from non-formal education and participatory facilitation. And we will make space for the emotional dimension of living through ecological crisis: using Joanna Macy's "Work That Reconnects" to acknowledge and process the weight of being aware, finding to find in that honesty a source of energy for action.

We will use narratives, storytelling, movement and embodied practices as tools for sense-making and connection, so we can process what we are learning not only with our minds but with our whole selves, to share different perspectives, and to imagine together what futures we want to move toward.

We are living in turbulent times: scary, yes, but also full of potential to be the catalyst for something new.

Now feels like the right moment to restore ecosystems, expand our consciousness, refine our skills for action and live by our values.

This course is an invitation to do all of that together, in a space where all of you is welcome.

Casa Algaia is located in a quiet valley next to Cariñena, in the Sierra de Algairén (Zaragoza), surrounded by almond trees, olive trees and vines. It is an off-grid, self-sufficient project oriented towards permaculture and ecology — electricity comes from solar energy, and its garden and fruit trees help nourish the community living and working there.

Instructions to arrive by public transport.

BUS — jimenezmovilidad.es: There are a few buses a day. Buy online ahead of time. On the website select "Zaragoza Intermodal" to "Cariñena Arrabal Bajo".

* To arrive to Zaragoza, you can take a train (Ouigo, Iryo, Renfe) or bus (Alsa) from Madrid or Barcelona.

BUSES — jimenezmovilidad.es: It takes about 4 hours.

Participants can join from EU countries plus North Macedonia, Serbia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Türkiye.

Your travel costs will be reimbursed according to the distance travelled. Travel must be within 2–3 days before/after the course if justified. Flights will not be reimbursed. If you need an overnight stay because your bus/train journey is too long, we will cover up to €30 per night.

Use the official Erasmus+ distance calculator to find out your reimbursement band.

Travel distance	Reimbursement
10 – 99 km	56 EUR
100 – 499 km	285 EUR
500 – 1,999 km	417 EUR
2,000 – 2,999 km	535 EUR

Choose the cheapest way of transportation — avoid expensive high-speed trains. Only public transportation will be reimbursed (no taxis). Reimbursements will be made in euros. You have two weeks after the project to submit your reimbursement form together with all original travel tickets, boarding passes and invoices.

Please note that long journeys can last some time — we can provide extra money to cover meals and accommodation until consuming the travel budget (consult beforehand).

Interested? We'd love to hear from you. Fill in the application form below and we'll be in touch.

For any questions, write to carlos@ecotopias.net

APPLY NOW

The rhythm is adapted to avoid activity during the central hours of the day.

07:30	Breakfast
08:00	Dishes and care groups
08:30	Circle + outdoor activity
11:00	Break
11:30	Activity
14:00	Lunch and free time
18:00	Evening activities
20:00	Reflection groups
20:30	Dinner
21:30	Night activity

The food, mostly based on vegetables, will be tasty, nutritionally balanced and provide all dietary requirements.

We'll provide all the necessary protein you need! If you're curious, read more about the protein myth here.

The course will be conducted in English. A B1 level is the minimum required to participate fully and get the most out of the experience.

There will be 14 participants and 3 trainers from different countries across Europe and beyond. The group is kept small intentionally — to allow for depth, genuine connection and real collaboration.

All participants who complete the course will receive a Youthpass certificate.

Boodaville, a collective that provides opportunities for learning about permaculture, ecology and designing regenerative cultures.